Taupo 4wd areas. Pohokura rd etc

[shortylux]

Hey all. I may sound like a bit of a gumby here, but I will ask any way.

I have just moved to Taupo and am looking for some places to go wheeling (yes I will join the club etc, missed the meeting on Monday). Also I have just read Diesel boys thread about paper roads. All good information.

I recently tried to do a trip up Pohokura rd off the Napier Taupo road, as listed in the book 101 north island 4wd adventures (or what ever).

So I went up Pohokura rd for the Taupo end and with in 2k I was really not so sure I was on the right track. so I backed out to the main road and went to head up from the Napier end of Pohokura rd. IT HAS A BIG F'ING GATE ACROSS IT. It appears to be a legal public road (guide book says nothing contrary, no signs at either end etc) How do I find out who owns this gate, and how do I gain access if I am legally allowed? Also how do I find out which council to contact (Napier or Taupo) re weather the road is a legal road and am I allowed to be there.

So kinda two questions I guess, where can I go around Taupo, and how do I start to research where I am and am not allowed to go.

Cheers for all help.

Arron.

[shortylux]

P.S I read the SF70 thread as well, so wont be racing in there.

[Swamped]

You could talk to graham from Taupo club. Drives a white sj with mud addict on the bonnet. He was the most knowledgeable of the people i spoke with when I lived down there.
Carl from down there is a real good dude too, drives a cut down blue cruiser.

Theres 2 Pohokura roads on google maps too?? Ones truely in the middle of nowhere and the other is off the napier road. Both are a bit of a drive it looks.
Try hitting pureora, only 20min or so from Taupo. Its best to ride along or go in a group though as its quite difficult to turn around on some of the tracks.
I got access to some forestry on the southern side of the napier taupo about 20min from taupo. It was cool but weird with the real soft pumice soil.

[skid]

pop along and have a chat to Klem

he owns Performance Mechanical & Engineering in Matai Street opposite TSR Motors

top guy, in the local club

will point you in the right direction

one of his workers is in the club too

[shortylux]

Thanks guys.

I have been talking to Klem. He is a top guy, but a busy man to. haven't had a chance to get out with him yet but looking forward to it.

I didn't realise Pureora was so close, I will look in to that.

Still keen to find out about my locked gate though.

[shortylux]

also where do I go in to Pureora from the Taupo end? do I need a permit?

[Clint]

I tried to ask about access through there ages ago but it was apparently maori land & it all got too hard. I would be interested to know if it is still public road, looks like it might be on google. Maybe give Andy Cocroft a call, he probably researched that before putting it in the book. Google also sez it is in the Hawkes Bay region.Wouldn't be the first time someone has put a locked gate on a public road.

Dunno how passable it would be through there though, looks like there could be some big slips on it.

Cheers
Clint

[kinser racing]

Yea there is two parts of Pohokura rd, North end which has an entry point from SH5, this goes straight up and into waipunga valley rd which takes you into the forestry. Which was the road you where on before you went back to the highway.

This part of the road and gate belongs to the forestry and is for public use, (weekends) ONLY IF YOU HAVE A PERMIT!!
This road or roads will take you right in and through to Rotorura side.
I found from the net that local 4WD clubs normally do treks through there.

The other part of Pohokura rd, which also has an entry point from SH5, but further down SH5 near the Tarawera Taven. Now this section of Pohokura rd runs pretty much along side the highway and meets up with the first part of Pohokura rd. This section is gated both ends and is private use only. Belongs to local maori.
I spoke to a land owner down there as i wanted to hunt down in that section, but he said they dont like to give access. Which is all good.

Hope this helps, i did a bit of research before as im keen to do some hunting down there.
If you do go in, take a gps and a good map as there are lots of tracks.

[Clint]

Yea there is two parts of Pohokura rd, North end which has an entry point from SH5, this goes straight up and into waipunga valley rd which takes you into the forestry. Which was the road you where on before you went back to the highway.

This part of the road and gate belongs to the forestry and is for public use, (weekends) ONLY IF YOU HAVE A PERMIT!!
This road or roads will take you right in and through to Rotorura side.
I found from the net that local 4WD clubs normally do treks through there..

According to DOC Murupara the Waipunga Access to Kaingaroa is actually a public access easement & no permit is required if you stay on the main route to the Whirinaki Forest Park. I go through this road to Minginui now & then, nice drive but you need to know where you are going as there are lots of turns & no signs. The gate at the SH5 end is normally open & will only be closed for extreme fire risk.

The other part of Pohokura rd, which also has an entry point from SH5, but further down SH5 near the Tarawera Taven. Now this section of Pohokura rd runs pretty much along side the highway and meets up with the first part of Pohokura rd. This section is gated both ends and is private use only. Belongs to local maori.
I spoke to a land owner down there as i wanted to hunt down in that section, but he said they dont like to give access. Which is all good.
.

It's not all good if it is actually still a public road though!

Cheers
Clint

[kinser racing]

Thanks Clint,

yea i was going off what Kaingaroa forestry managment keep telling me when i get a permit, They say that its their gate and they open it the morning and shut it earlynight time but won't say the times. And stress you have to have a permit. Had permit 3 times but not been in yet, bit worried my truck will get locked in.
And i only want to go into the doc side!!!

Yea it does suck the that local iwi can shut off a public road. My father in-law been in a few times before they shut it off, was good road and hunting spot. I say all good as im not one to rock the boat and didnt know its still a public road.


Realy want to to get in there, saw a nice red stag walking up stream from the highway when i was heading to Tataarakina last year!!!.

[Clint]

Thanks Clint,

yea i was going off what Kaingaroa forestry managment keep telling me when i get a permit, They say that its their gate and they open it the morning and shut it earlynight time but won't say the times. And stress you have to have a permit. Had permit 3 times but not been in yet, bit worried my truck will get locked in.
And i only want to go into the doc side!!!.

They are logging just in there at the moment so they might have stepped up security, but I've never seen that gate locked or any forest security types on the Waipunga- Minginui route. DOC Murupara may be able to give details on the openess or not of that access.

Yea it does suck the that local iwi can shut off a public road. My father in-law been in a few times before they shut it off, was good road and hunting spot. I say all good as im not one to rock the boat and didnt know its still a public road.
.

We're not sure if it is still a public road or not, we need someone with access to the survey & land title data to look it up. The fact it is still shown as a road on fairly recent maps suggests that it may be.

Cheers
Clint

[Pico42]

We're not sure if it is still a public road or not, we need someone with access to the survey & land title data to look it up. The fact it is still shown as a road on fairly recent maps suggests that it may be.

Cheers
Clint

Where exactly is it?

[Swamped]

The tumonz we have for our SAR computers has all land titles, owners names and paper roads on it and are pretty up to date from what I can tell if anyone has access to that.

[Clint]

Where exactly is it?

On the northern side of the Napier-Taupo Hwy between the Tarawera & Rangitaiki pubs. It's the old road. On google a lot of it actually looks like single track so maybe no good for 4x4 but I gotta motorbike too Here ya go:

http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Pohokura+Rd,+Tarawera+3379,+Hawkes+Bay&sll=-41.244772,172.617188&sspn=37.223111,84.375&ie=UTF8&cd=2&geocode=FcBSrf0da8SFCg&split=0&hq=&hnear=Pohokura+Rd,+Tarawera+3379,+Hawkes+Bay&ll=-38.986434,176.537676&spn=0.037761,0.082397&z=14

Cheers
Clint

[Pico42]

It is Legal Road, but there is a portion at the north end where it does not link right through spatially.

But then neither does the State Highway - and there is a much bigger gap in that...

Looks like those portions are over Maori Land - there may be some other arrangement in place?

Thing to check now is that the physical alignment fits with the legal corridor.

I have some screen shots of the cadastral records in a word document if anyone would like them.

[Clint]

Interesting - it's the south end which is gated off, Someone needs to go get a GPS fix on that gate to check the physical vs legal alignment as you say. I'll do it but it might be a while before I go through there again. I'm guessing that the alignments don't match & that has allowed the landowners to legally gate it, but it's worth checking.

Cheers
Clint

[timmay556]

Let us know how you get on bud, I'm relativly new to taupo and enjoy going for an easy 4wd everynow and then.

I didnt know sf70 was a no go? I use it regualry for hunting access

[Clint]

I didnt know sf70 was a no go? I use it regualry for hunting access

Bit of a strange situation with SF70, DOC don't want 4x4's in there but not badly enough to bother putting up a sign, see the 'SF70' thread in this section

Cheers
Clint